Electric valve control



Sept. 1, M PERSONS 2,052,987

ELECTR I C VALVE CONTROL Filed June 17, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l A HWH I Inventor L. Persons Att-y.

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Sept. 1, 1936. L. M. PERSONS ELECTRIC VALVE CONTROL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor 26M. Persons By 3 At ty.

Filed June 17, 1931 Patented Sept. 1, 1936 PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC VALVE CONTROL Lawrence M. Persons,

Quincy, Ill., assignor to Minneapolis-Honeywell Regulator Company, Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation of Delaware Application Jlllll'Y, 1931, Serial No. 545,017

17 Claims.

My invention relates to an electric valve control and particularly to that type of valve control mechanism in which the valve is provided with biasing means, such as a spring motor, for moving it into closed position and is opened against the action of such biasing means by the action of an electric motor.

One object of my invention is to provide means, independent of the motor, for holding the valve in open position, thus both economizing in current consumption and avoiding heating of the parts and consequent deterioration of the lubricant used thereon.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for preventing the valve from rebounding from its seat when it is returned thereto by the biasing means.

Still another object is to provide improved means for manually operating the valve in case of failure of the current supply, such means being so arranged that electrical operation will be automatically restored upon resumption of the current supply. a

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one form of control valve made in accordance with my invention, Figure 1 is a side view, the housing and valve casing being shown in section; Figure 2 is a top plan view, the housing being shown in section; Figure 3 is a section, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 33 of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a section, also on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2; Figure 5 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a section taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5; Figure '7 is a plan view of the manual control mechanism; Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure '7 but showing the parts in a different position; and Figure 9 is a wiring diagram.

Referring first to Figure 1, the valve casing indicated at I is provided with the usual inlet and outlet openings 2 and 3, respectively. These openings are separated by a partition 4' in which is a port 5 surrounded by a valve seat 6 co operating with a valve 40 of ,the poppet type. The valve is not rigidly carried by its stem 1 but has a certain amount of movement relative thereto, such movement being permitted by a pin and slot connection 8. A coil spring 9 is interposed between the valve and stem. Escape of fluid around the stem is prevented by a flexible diaphragm i having its inner edge secured to the stem and its outer edge positioned between the valve casing and an annulus ii on the under side of a rectangular plate or table I 2 forming (c1. let-139) the support for the valve operating mechanism.

A pair of side frames [3 and H are clamped to the table by a cross bar IS. The cross bar is se cured in position by tie rods l6 having their lower ends secured in the table and passing through holes in the cross bar. The upper ends of the tie rods are threaded and engaged by nuts I! bearing on the cross bar. The threaded ends of these rods extend above the nuts I! passing through the main portion l8 of a housing which is held in place by knurled nuts IS on the ends of the tie rods. To prevent movement of the lower part of the housing relative to the table, part I8 is provided with lugs 20 extending through slots in the table. end plates 2! and 22 secured to flanges on the part l8 by screws 23 (Figure 2). Lateral movement of the side frames l3 and i4 is prevented by pins 24 set in the table and bearing against the inner faces of the frames. Journaled in the side frames l3 and I4 is shaft 25, shown in detail in Figure 5. Mounted on shaft 25 is a pinion 26 meshing with a rack 21 carried by the valve stem 1. The upper end of the stem slides in an opening 28 in the cross bar l which thus serves as a guide to align the valve stem. Mounted on the shaft 25 adjacent the pinion 26 is agear wheel 29. Meshing with the gear wheel 29 is a pinion 30 rigidly secured to a gear wheel 3| loosely mounted on a stud 32 carried in the side frame l3. Gear wheel 3! engages with a pinion 33 on a shaft 34 journaled in the side frames. Mounted on the shaft 34 is the rotor 35 of an electric motor 36 which may either be of the shaded pole type, as shown, or of any other suitable form. The stator of the motor is mounted on rods 3! which, together with a rod 38 at the opposite end of the device, serves to space the side frames apart. A coil spring 39 surrounding the shaft 25 acts as a spring motor providing biasing means tending to seat the valve 40.

If some provision is not made for retarding the movement of the valve when it is closed by the spring motor, the accumulated momentum of the parts will be such that the shock of seating, even with the interposition of the spring 9, will cause the valve to rebound with the result that undesirable fluctuations will be caused in the flow of fluid through the valve. To overcome this difficulty I provide a friction brake, such as shown in Figure 1. To form this brake the end of the shaft 36 projects beyond the side frame i3 into a drum 4! riveted or otherwise secured to the frame. Mounted on the end of the shaft is an S-shaped spring 42 carrying on its free ends weights 43 and The housing is completed by as to be out of contact with the inner face of the drum when the parts are at rest. When, however, the shaft 34! reaches a predetermined speed the centrifugal action of the weights will force the friction blocks against the drum and so retard the speed of the device. By properly proportloning the mass of the weights and the 'stifiness of the spring 52 the return speed of the valve can be so regulated as to prevent not only rebound but un= due shock to the parts. The interposition of the spring 9 between the valve and its stem also contributes to this result.

Mounted on the side frame it is a relay 45 having an armature 46 pivoted on a pin 47. Sur-= rounding the projecting end of this pin is a coil spring d8 which holds the armature in open position, as shown in Figure 3, when no current is passing through the coil 49 of the relay. The armature also carries one of a pair of contacts forming a circuit breaker 50. When the relay is energized the armature is swung on its pivot, separating the contacts and also moving into engage ment with the teeth of wheel 3| a detent 52 carried by a stud 53 on the armature. Separating the contacts in interrupts a circuit 54 (Figure 9) including the motor and a source of supply, such as the secondary 55 of a transformer, the primary 56 of which is included in the supply line 51. This will interrupt the flow of current through the motor, the circuit throughwhich has been previously completed by the action of a thermostat 58 in the motor circuit, as will be hereinafter more fully described. The relay coil 49 is included in a circuit 59 in shunt across the circuit breaker 50. In the circuit 59 is a circuit breaker; 60. This circuit breaker, best shown in Figure 1, is normally open but is adapted to be closed when one of its arms is engaged by a pin 6 I. This pin is carried by a collar 62 non-rotatably mounted on the end of the shaft 25. Surrounding the collar 62 is a sleeve 63 provided with an inclined slot 64 through which 7 the pin 6i projects. A compression spring 65' positioned between the collar and the sleeve normally -holds the latter in its outer position, as shown in Figures 5 and 8. Formed in the inner end of the collar is a notch 65 providing a locking shoulder adapted to engage with a pin 66 carried by the end frame l3 to lock the parts in the position shown in Figure 7. When in this position the end of the collar bears against one arm of a circuit breaker 61, thus closing a circuit 68 shunting the thermostat 58. In order to facilitate insulation of the circuit breakers and 61 they may be mounted on an insulating sheet 69 (Figines 1 and 2) secured to the end frame I 3 rather than directly on the frame itself. The end of the collar 83 projects through the side plate 2| of the housing and is knurled so as to be readily rotated manually.

The end of the shaft 25 adjacent the side plate 22 is provided with a disc "III carrying a wrist pin H engaging with a slot 12 in a lever 13. This lever is pivoted at 14 to the side plate 22 and is swing on its pivot by the movement of shaft 25 so that it may be utilized to move any control part other than the valve III which it may be desired to actuate.

The operation of the device is as follows: Assuming the valve to be in closed position, as shown in Figln'e 1, to open the valve the motor circuit 54 is closed, as for example, by the thermostat 58. Closing this circuit supplies current to the motor,

causing it to rotate the shaft 34 and, through the aosaoev friction blocks 66, the latter being so positioned gear train, the shaft 25 carrying the pinion 2% which, through its engagement with the rack 27!, raises the valve. When in the opening movement of the valve the pin 69, carried by the shaft 3%, engages with one arm of the circuit breaker to, the circuit 39 through the relay coil 69 is closed. This energizes the relay Q5 causin its armature 86 to move to. closed position. At the beginning of the movement of the armature the circuit breaker 55 is opened, interrupting the flow of current through the motor but not through the shunt circuit '59, including the relay coil. At the end of the armature movement the detent 52 engages with the gear wheel 3i and consequently locks the valve in raised position. Due to the inertia of the armature, there is a definite but slight interval of time between the interruption of the motor cur rent and the engagement of the detent with the gear. Therefore the locking of the valve against return movement takes place after the motor has ceased to impel it forward and before the action of the biasing means has moved it appreciably in the return direction. By thisarrangement the locking of the valve takes place while the parts are substantially at rest and sudden checking of the moving parts, and consequent jar, is avoided. As long as the thermostat remains closed, the parts will remain in this position with the valve open and the only consumption of current will be the slight amount required to energize the relay winding 49. When the circuit through the shunt 59 is broken by the opening of the thermo stat the relay will be deenergized, allowing its armature to be moved to open position by the spring 48. This will release the gear train so that the spring motor 39 will return the valve to closed position. The speed of the parts under the impulsion of the spring motor will tend to constantly increase. When, however, a predetermined speed has been reached the centrifugal brake will retard the movement so that, as hereinbefore stated, the valve will be seated without rebound or undue shock. It will be understood that during the above described action, which may b termed its normal or electrical operatiomjthe sleeve 63 is held by the spring in. its outerposition, as shown in Figures 5 and 8.

In case of failure of the current supply the device may be manually operated by manipulation of the sleeve 63. Assuming, as before, that the valve is in closed position, if it is desired to open the valve the projecting knurled end of the collar is grasped and rotated in a clockwise direction. The first eflect of this rotation is to draw the sleeve inwardly against the tension of spring 65' due to the movement of the pin Si in the inclined slot 64. This movement results from the fact that it requires less force to compress the spring 65' than to raise the valve against the tension of the spring motor. When the end of the sleeve contacts with a stop pin 66, its inward movement is prevented so that further rotation of the sleeve is transmitted to the shaft 25 thus raising the valve. When the valve is near its extreme upper position, the pin 66 enters the notch 65 looking the valve in raised position. This should take place when the pin Si is in the position shown in "dotted lines in Figure 1, so that the pin is capable exertion of more force than that necessary to compress the spring 65'. To close the valve the sleeve is rotated to its extreme position and then released. If the sleeve is not released but allowed to move in a contra-clockwise direction while grasped in the hand, the action of the pin 8| on the inclined slot will draw it inwardly so that it will again come to locked position. when, however, it is released in its extrem'e position, it will be forced outwardly by the spring 65' so as to pass the pin 66 and the valve will be returned to closed position by the spring motor 33 as in the normal operation of the device.

It will be noted that when the sleeve 63 is in its inner position it bears against one arm of the circuit breaker 61 thus closing the shunt circuit 68 around the thermostat 58. The object of this arrangement is to insure the automatic return of the device to normal operation upon resumption of the current supply under all conditions. In case the valve is in closed position with the thermostat either open or closed, or the valve is in open position with the thermostat in closed position such resumption of normal operation would occur without theshunt circuit 68. But if the valve is locked open and the thermostat is also open when the supply is resumed, the valve would remain open without the use of the shunt circuit instead of closing as it should when the thermostat is open. being closed around the thermostat when the parts are in this position, current is supplied to the motor, opening the valve stillfurther until pin 6| closes the circuit breaker 60 when the valve will return to closed position in the normal manner.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

' electric motor for opening said valve, a supply switch.

circuit for said motor, a control switch in said supply circuit, a relay arrangedin shunt across said supply circuit, means operated by the opening of the valve for closing the relay circuit, means actuated from the relay for locking-the valve in open position,a secondary switch also actuated from the relay for opening the motor circuit independently of the control switch, a shunt circuit around the control switch, a third switch in said last named shunt circuit, and manually operated means for locking the valve in open position, said manually operated means actuating said third named 2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a valve, means biasing said valve toward closed position, means including an elec tric motor for opening said valve, manually operated means for moving said valve to open position, said manually operated means including a spring actuated member forming a lock, and a cam for moving said member into locking position against the tension of its spring, said member being releasable through the action of the motor to allow its spring to return it is unlocked position.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a valve, means biasing said valve toward closed position, means including an electric motor for opening said valve, manually operated means for moving said valve to open position, said manually operated means including a shaft driven from said motor, a sleeve provided The shunt circuit, however, 4

-with a locking shoulder and mounted on said shaft, a spring for moving said sleeve longitudinally of said shaft in one direction, and a cam for moving said sleeve in the other direction when it is rotated relatively to the shaft, said second named movement causing engagement of said locking shoulder, said engagement taking place before the end of the opening movement of the valve, whereby further movement of the valve by the motor will permit the movement of the shoulder out of locking position by the spring.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of an electric motor, a valve stem, a poppet valve carried by said stem but movable relative thereto, a cushioning spring interposed between said valve and stem, multiplying gearing connecting said motor and valve stem to move the latter toward open position, spring means for returning the stem to closed position, and a centrifugal brake operating at the high speed end of the gearing for retarding the closing movement.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of an electric motor, a supply circuitthereior including a control switch, a regulating device actuated in one direction by said motor, means biasing said regulating device toward movement in the other direction, a relay for opening the supply circuit independently of said control switch, means operated from said relay for locking said regulating device against movement by said biasing means, a circuit shunted around the motor and including said relay, a switch in said shunt circuit, means for closing said latter named switch by the movement of said regulating device against the biasing means, manually operated means for locking the regulating device against movement by the biasing means, a shunt circuit around the control switch, and a switch for closing said latter named shunt circuit through the movement of said manually operated locking means.

6. A device of the class described, comprising in combination, a valve casing having an inlet and an outlet, a partition wall therebetween having a valve opening therein, a valve adapted to close said valve opening and biased to valve closing position, operating means connected to said valve and movable upon operation thereof in one direction for opening said valve against its bias, the bias of the valve being sumcient to move said operating means during the valve closing operation in the opposite direction at such a speed and through a large enough range that the resulting momentum would be sufiicient to cause the valve to rebound from valve closing position upon reaching the same, and means for preventing such rebounding oi the valve due to the momentum thus imparted to the operating means during valve closing movement, said means comprising a centrifugal brake acting on said operating means and eii'ective to retard the movement thereof in valve closing direction.

'7. A device of the class described, comprising in combination, a valve casing having an inlet and an outlet, a partition wall therebetween having a valve opening therein, a valve adapted to close said valve opening and biased to valve closing position, operating means connected to said valve and movable upon operation thereof in one direction for opening said valve against its bias, the bias of the valve being sufficient to move said operating means during the valve closing operation in the opposite direction at such a speed and through a large enough range that the resulting momentum would be sumclent to cause the valve to rebound from valve closing position upon reaching the same, and means for preventing such rebounding of the valve due to the momentum thus imparted to the operating means during valve closing movement, said means com prising a lost motion connection between said operating means and said valve and a centrifugal brake acting on said operating means and eflec tive to retard the movement thereof in valve closing direction. a

8. A device of the class described, comprising a valve casing having an inlet and an outlet, a partition wall therebetween having a valve seat formed therein, a valve normally biased against the seat to obstruct fluid flow from the inlet to the outlet, a rotating actuator for the valve, a reduction gear train between said actuator and valve whereby the latter may be opened against its bias by the former upon operative energization thereof, the bias of the valve being sumcient to close the valve and rotate the actuator and gear train in the reverse direction at such a speed and through a large enough range that the resulting momentum built up in the gear train and actuator would be suficient to cause the valve to rebound from its seat upon striking the same, and means for preventing such rebounding of the valve from its seat due to the momentum thus imparted to the actuator and gear train during valve closing movement, said means comprising a centrifugal brake operating at the high speed end of the gearing to retard the movement of said actuator and gear train in valve closing direction.

9. A device of the class described, comprising a valve casing having an inlet and an outlet, a partition wall therebetween having a valve seat formed therein, a. valve normally biased against the seat to obstruct fluid flow from the inlet to the outlet, a rotating actuator for the valve, 9. reduction gear train between said actuator and valve whereby the latter may be opened against thus imparted to the actuator and gear train during valve closing movement, said means comprising a lost motion connection between said actuator and said valve and a brake efl'ective to retard the movement of said actuator and gear train in valve closing direction.

10. In apparatus of the class described, a. fluid flow controlling element, means biasing said element to a. first position, an electrical actuator, means connecting said element and said actuator whereby the actuator may move the element to a second position, electrical means operative upon energization thereof to hold said element in said second position against said bias, means movable upon movement of said actuator and operable whenso moved to cause energization of said holding means upon said element reaching said second position, said last named means being manually movable in the event of power failure and being operable when so moved to move said/element to substantially said second position and to latch said element in said posi= tion.

ill. apparatus of the class described, a fluid flow controlling element, means biasing said ele= ment to a first position, an electrical actuator, means connecting said element and said actuator whereby the actuator may move the element to a second position, electrical means operative upon energization thereof to hold said element in said second position against said bias, a control member normally in control of said actuator, means movable upon movement of said actuator and failure and being operable when so moved to move said element to substantially said second position and to latch said element in said position, and means rendered efie'ctive upon such ual movement of said last named means to immediately place said electrical actuator under the control of the control member upon resumption of power irrespective of the condition of the control member.

12. In apparatus of the class described, a valve biased to closed position, a rotatable electrical actuator, means connecting said valve and said actuator whereby the actuator may move the valve to open position against said bias, electrical means operative upon energization thereof to hold said valve in open position, means rotatable upon rotation of said actuator and operable when so rotated to cause energization of said holding means upon said valve reaching open position, said last named means being manually rotatable in the event of power failure and being operable upon such rotation to move said valve to substantially open position and upon such rotation to simultaneously move inwardly to latch said valve in substantially open position.

13. In apparatus of the class described, a valve biased to closed position, a rotatable electrical actuator, means connecting said valve and said actuator whereby the actuator may move the valve to open position against said bias, electrical means operative upon energization thereof to hold said valve in open position, a control member normally in control of said electrical actuator, means rotatable upon rotation of said actuator and operable when "so rotated to cause energize.- t-ion of said holding means upon said valve reaching open'position, said last named means being manually rotatable in the event of power failure and being operable upon such rotation to move said valve to substantially open position and upon such rotation to simultaneously move inwardly to latch said valve in substantially open position, and means rendered effective upon such inward movement to immediately place said electrical actuator under control of the control member upon resumption of power irrespective of the condition of the control member.

14. A device of the class described, comprising, in combination, a valve casing having an inlet port, and an outlet port, a partition wall therebetween having an opening therein, a valve for closing said opening to obstruct the flow of fluid from the inlet to the outlet, automatically controllable rotating means operatively associated with the valve for opening the valve, a housing ing which upon rotation opens the valve independently of the rotating means and which upon inward movement thereof after rotation maintains the valve in open position against the bias of the spring.

15. A device of the class described, comprising, in combination, a valve casing having an inlet port, and an outlet port, a partition wall therebetween having an opening therein, a valve for closing said opening to obstruct the flow of fluid from the inlet to the outlet, automatically controllable rotating means operatively associated with the valve for opening the valve, a housing secured to the valve casing and enclosing said means, a spring normally biasing the rotating means and associated valve to valve closing position,jmechanism extending without the housing which upon rotation opens the valve independently of the rotating means and which upon inward movement thereof after rotation maintains the valve in open position against the bias of the spring upon power failure, and means rendered operable upon inward movement of said mechanism for restoring the device to automatic control when power is resumed.

16. A device of the class described, comprising, in combination, a fluid flow controlling element biased to one position, a rotary electrical motor, a reduction gear train operatively connecting the fluid flow controlling element and motor whereby the former may be moved to a new fluid flow position against its bias upon operative energization of the latter, a housing enclosing the motor and reduction gear train, and mechanism extending without the housing which upon manual rotation moves the fluid flow controlling element to an intermediate position against its bias independently of the motor and which upon inward movement maintains the fluid flow controlling element in its intermediate position.

17. A device of the class described, comprising, in combination, a fluid flow controlling element biased to one position, a rotary electrical motor, automatic control means therefor, a reduction gear train operatively connecting the fluid flow controlling element and motor whereby the former may be moved to a new fluid flow 130- sition against its bias upon operative energization of the latter, a housing enclosing the motor and reduction gear train, mechanism extending without the housing which upon manual rotation moves the fluid flow controlling element to an intermediate position against its bias independently of the motor and which upon inward movement maintains the fluid flow controlling element in its intermediate position upon power failure, and means rendered operable upon inward movement of said mechanism for restoring the device to automatic control when power is resumed.

LAWRENCE M. PERSONS.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,052,987. September 1', 1936.

LAWRENCE M. PERSONS.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 3, first column, line 67, claim 2, for "is" read to; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 15th day of December, A. D. 1936.

Henry Van ,Arsdale (Seal) Acting Commissioner ofPatents.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,052,987. September 1', 1936.

LAWRENCE M. PERSONS.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 3, first column, line 67, claim 2, for "is" read to; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 15th day of December, A. D. 1936.

Henry Van ,Arsdale (Seal) Acting Commissioner of'Patents. 

